Man Utd ‘snubbed’ by Franck Kessie before bargain move from Barcelona to Saudi

Erik ten Hag previews Arsenal v Man Utd clash

Manchester United were reportedly turned down by midfielder Franck Kessie in the middle of the summer transfer window. The Ivorian was believed to be Erik ten Hag’s top target in the middle of the park, with a successful swoop for Sofyan Amrabat only materialising on deadline day.

Kessie was put in the shop window this summer after only one season at Barcelona. Deemed surplus to requirements by Xavi, United were reportedly among the clubs to show an interest in the 26-year-old.

However, according to Relevo, Kessie ‘did not want to go’. Inter Milan were also snubbed by the player as he opted for Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League instead, where he now counts the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino as team-mates.

Even more painful for United is that they are believed to have offered the same fee – £11million – that Al-Ahli submitted to get the deal done.

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Kessie has made a fast start to life in the Middle East, scoring twice in five matches, including in a 2-0 win over Al-Ta’ee last week. His Man Utd rejection will come as a surprise to many, given that he openly spoke about his ‘dream’ of joining the Red Devils back in 2018.

“I like the Premier League and in particular Manchester United – a team I dream of playing in,” he told Tuttomercatoweb. “Chelsea is also a great club, no one would refuse it, but I dream of United.”

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Kessie first caught the eye while coming through with Atalanta, where he convinced AC Milan to make their move in 2019. With 37 goals in 223 appearances, the midfielder’s spell at the San Siro was a resounding success.

United were also courting Amrabat during the summer window, and unlike Kessie, the Moroccan was understood to be dead set on a move to Old Trafford. He reportedly trained alone at Fiorentina for weeks before the Red Devils put together their deadline day swoop.

In the end, United agreed to fork out an £8.5m loan fee – only marginally less than it would have taken to sign Kessie on a permanent basis – and they will have a £21.4m option to buy next summer.

Amrabat was not deemed ready to make his debut against Arsenal on Sunday, with Ten Hag’s side painfully losing 3-1 due to late goals from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus.

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